Politics | Cindy McCain Cindy McCain's Soft Talk Masks Deep Resolve GOP candidate's wife is quiet on trail, crusader off it By Jonas Oransky Posted Apr 15, 2008 2:02 PM CDT Copied Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., left, and his wife, Cindy McCain. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Cindy McCain is reserved on the campaign trail—a marked contrast to the sometimes-pugilistic style of husband John—but outside the public eye she has been a “one-woman philanthropic operation,” reports the Chicago Tribune in a profile. The would-be first lady has brought medical relief missions to Rwanda and Vietnam, land-mine education to Afghanistan, and awareness to Darfur. Eighteen years her husband’s junior, and the survivor of both a stroke and a painkiller addiction, McCain is also a player in campaign strategy decisions—though observers note she steers clear of taking positions on sticky topics and would likely be a conservative presidential spouse. McCain is especially reserved on the Iraq war, even though she has two sons serving in the military. Read These Next RFK Jr. suggests antidepressants to blame after shooting. Isolated tribe members show up in an unexpected place. A new possible clue in the hunt for Travis Decker. There've been some big changes in how COVID vaccines are given. Report an error